In recent days, the future of our planet was discussed at the United Nations Rio +20 international summit in Rio de Janeiro. Regardless of what results and commitments this meeting brought, it is up to each of us how we will approach the environment and mitigation of the consequences of climate change. One of the ways is the Run of Peer Solidarity as a form of raising awareness in schools. The Slovak Catholic charity (SKCH) was inspired by the Slovenian and Austrian charities, which organized a run for boys and girls from primary and secondary schools in order to achieve the goal: to run 40,075 km, which represents the length of the equator. In this way, symbolically, young people would create a circle of peer solidarity from Europe toward the African continent and back. So far, the kilometers run have climbed above half of the desired number, exactly to 28,120 km.

Also thanks to the contribution from Slovak primary and secondary school students, it is possible that this goal (symbolically running around the globe along the equator) may be fulfilled by the end of 2012. In May, therefore, the SKCH project team offered Slovak schools the activity “Run for Climate Justice,” which they can carry out within workshops of development education, during physical education classes, or during a sports day shortly before receiving the annual report card. The workshops to raise awareness about the causes and effects of climate change are implemented by SKCH at 170 schools across the country within a development education project supported by SlovakAid and the European Commission called Climate Justice (with the subtitle For Climate Justice in Developing Countries with a focus on Sub-Saharan Africa). More information about this activity, as well as the entire project, can be found on the website: www.mladacharita.sk.

So far, the Peer Solidarity Run – “Run for Climate Justice” has involved primary schools in Čimhová, Dolná Tížina, Košice, gymnasiums in Košice and Piešťany, as well as the United Church School in Dolný Kubín. The motivation of students is unambiguous—to confirm their interest in global topics and climate change, as well as its impact on people’s lives not only in Sub-Saharan Africa. SKCH project coordinator Mariana Ištoňová values that “students do not perceive running as an ordinary physical activity, but as a possible message to people on the African continent that they are aware of the effects of global warming and the interconnection of continents.” Young people from Slovakia have so far run 1027, 92 km.

Slovak schools regularly respond to calls to show their activity and peer solidarity in the joint fight for climate justice—for example, on Earth Day in April, Africa Day at the end of May, or African Child Day in mid-June. SKCH developmental education lecturer Božena Baluchová notes: “We should not be indifferent that people in the countries of the Horn of Africa suffer from extreme droughts, lack of drinking water, and hunger—climate change also manifests itself in Europe. We feel it in sudden weather changes, extreme temperatures, and rapid transitions from winter to summer even here.”

Foto: www.mladacharita.sk